A Chakram and a TARDIS
by BlondBardofAlabama
Summary: The Doctor has found himself in a bit of a mess, and needs to enlist the help of the strongest woman in the universe, Xena. This story will connect the worlds of Warrior Princess and Time Lord and will reveal unexplained secrets about Xena, the Olympians... and maybe a few other things! ( I do not own either story, and this is all just for fun.)
1. The Time Lord and The God of War

**Chapter one. **

"Hello, Ares." The doctor spoke in a growl, his skeptical eyes fixed upon the once all powerful Greek God. The Doctor hated Aries, despised everything that the God of violence and bloodshed stood for, but he also knew that he needed the deity's help to locate _her- _the woman he desperately needed to find_. _The rude, overly muscled idiot in the black leather nodded once at the time lord, his face hard and creased into a slight frown. Aries didn't like the Doctor, either, so this conversation was going to be a bit awkward for the both of them.

"What do you want, freaky deaky outer space man?" He sauntered forward, puffing out his chest in a completely unnecessary show of masculinity.

The doctor rolled his eyes- Gods, even listening to this meat head was making him dumber by the second.

"Well…?" The tanned hunk raised his eyebrows and tapped his foot, acting as though meeting with the Man who was almost as old as he is was a super inconvenience.

"Let's cut to the chase, shall we, your bulkiness?" The Time Lord, dressed in a pin stripe suit, piped, "I'm looking for someone, and I know that you will know where to find her."

Aries actually laughed out loud- there was only one person that was a _'her' _that anyone ever asked him about, and he wasn't about to give up her whereabouts so easily. He shrugged, feigning cluelessness.

"Who are you looking for?" He barked gruffly, "And besides, can't your blue chunk of junk find basically anyone, anywhere, any time?"

The spacemen huffed, running his hands through his disheveled black hair.

"I don't have time to explain this, but the TARDIS… she basically has a mind of her own. Your feeble brain wouldn't understand." He bit his lip. He regretted the last little insult as soon as he said it, and even more so when it prompted a slurry of insults from the Olympian.

"I am a GOD," Aries hulked with rage, "What in Hades name are you?! NOTHING compared to me."

The Doctor inhaled deeply, preparing to explain something that he was sure wouldn't be received well. "Actually… I'm pretty much… like you. Without the crazy messed up powers and super inflated egos, but still. We're from the same neighborhood- same solar system, actually."

The God had taken a deep breath, and crossed his arms, his eyebrows creased. His brown eyes bore into the time lord, scrutinizing him. "Explain." He ordered.

"Okay, this might take a while. You guys came from Titans, right? WRONG! Titans were actually the original inhabitants of Earth. And then Humans- somehow and miraculously- evolved from itty bitty cells all the way up into complex organisms and then all of the life on the planet came about. Trust me- I've seen it. They eventually got smart enough to want to get rid of the Titans and right when they were about to do it- Zeus crash landed and did it for him. His spaceship just wiped them out, basically. Humans died, too, but there were so many of them by that point that it didn't really matter."

Aries eyes widened, as suddenly things had started to make sense. Tragically, his old Dad was no longer around to confirm this story (not that he had really cared for him to begin with) - but why would he lie?

"You're saying that Zeus, my father, _lied _to all of us Gods?"

"oh no no no no," The Doctor was going a million miles an hour now- really getting into his explanation, "Zeus meant to come here, he just didn't smooth out the landing. He came with your Mum, too. And his ship had a memory swiper on it, meant to fabricate a history and make him believe whatever story was most likely at the time. Since the humans instantly started worshiping him because he killed the Titans- godhood seemed appropriate."

"Ok," Aries was worried that he had actually started to trust the space man. "So, back to the point. Why are you looking for Xena?"

The doctor smiled slightly, he had known that Aries had been playing coy with him. There was only one "she" in the Greek piece of junk's life, whether or not he had the kahunas to admit it. He likely knew where she was, at all times- probably followed her around. Odds are, she was within a couple of miles of where the pair was standing.

"Well. You remember the whole episode that lead to the death of most of your immediate and extended family? The whole Eve and 'power to kill Gods' thing and stuff like that?"

Aries nodded, looking annoyed and urging the Alien to go a bit faster- how could he forget the massacre that he had played a major- and disgraceful- role in?

"Well, based on a huge and ridiculous chain of events that I couldn't possibly hope to explain to you in less than three hours- involving Alien made weaponry capable of killing those who match a certain pattern- Xena and her 'gift' has become extremely valuable in a _future _situation. I need her help."

Aries laughed again, but this time his laugh was a bit softer, less mocking. It wasn't so much of a "oh you really are full of it" as it was an "ooooh you don't know what you've gotten yourself into," but regardless, he summoned a map to the ground before him and flung a dagger into it. He kneeled by it, and pointed to the place the dagger hit. "There," he pointed, "Is where you fill find Xena and Gabrielle. Good luck with that."

With that, Aries was gone, and the Doctor was left his blue box and a tattered map.


	2. The Weapon of Xena

"Oi. And what do you think you're doing, space man?"

The Doctor jumped- he had almost forgotten about his companion! Donna was leaning out of the TARDIS, looking as impatient as ever. She shook her head at the doctor, who had been kneeling down in the sand inspecting the map. "And what are you doing down there, for?! Come on!"

He stood and walked back to the TARDIS, pocketing the map. The small hole that had marked Xena's whereabouts remained untouched, he would inspect it and think about how to get there, later. It was going to be a heck of a trip, and likely not one that his blue box could make without causing some trouble. He stroked his chin, deep in thought, the constant chatter of his sassy friend coming in and out of his focus.

"And I don't understand why I couldn't meet the Greek hunk! "God of War"- he sounds hot! And I've never met a God before. At least, not a God that humans worshiped. That I know of." She straightened up and looked at the Doctor, "Doctor, have I met any Gods?"

He was somewhere else for a second, turning his sonic screwdriver over in his hand. There was silence for a second, and then he muttered, "Anyone can be a God if there's a race gullible enough to believe it."

"What do you mean? You mean I could be a God?" Donna laughed, "That idea is complete Rubbish! Who would worship me?! Ants!?"

"Some races believe Time Lords to be Gods." Donna fell quiet. Even with her loud mouth, she knew when the Doctor needed a moment of silence to get his thoughts in order. She also knew that whenever he would catch himself being too intense he would soon make a joke, which is exactly what he did.

"And those Olympians!" He blabbed, faking a laugh, "Way too silly. Funny race, they are- strangely enough from a planet called Olympia. It's near Gallifrae- I guess you could say that the Greek Gods are the Time Lord's crazy, deranged, cousins. You know- the ones you're too ashamed to invite over for Christmas. Anyway, they came here COMPLETELY by accident- I'm afraid they'll all be gone soon, the be replaced by Gods more capable of standing the trials of time."

"Time," Donna muttered, herself drifting off in thought, "If you're a time lord, and gods kill gods, they you're a God who can kill gods…" She paused and smiled up at the Doctor, "Its all very confusing. Anyway, so why do you need this Xena chick?"

"Long, long long long story," he told her, "But I promise to explain it all on the way! We've got a long walk ahead of us."

Donna gaped. 'Walk!?" She exclaimed, "What is the use of a TARDIS if you have to walk across Rome!"

"Greece," The Doctor corrected her, "Right around the first century AD. You've been around here before- Pompeii. But that was Rome. Greeks are a little bit more… Well, Greek."

"And Xena? What's she like?"

The time traveler creased his brow, "Well, actually I've never met her. I've heard- and read- a lot about her, though. Her companion, Gabrielle, was one of the greatest bards of ancient times. Their adventures are extraordinary- unbelievable, to be something from Earth. I thought it was the stuff of Legends, until recently."

"And what changed your mind, Doctor?" The Earth girl inquired, unphased by the fact that she was over two millennia before her own time, "How did you know she was real?"

"Because-" the doctor jogged across the TARDIS, pulling something out of a cabinet that Donna was sure she had never seen before. He held up two pieces of something that once looked like a loop, kind of like a Frisbee without a middle, but was very sharp on the outer edge. It was silver and gold, and Donna found herself becoming confused while looking at it. Regardless, she knew what it was- a weapon. "I found this," the Doctor continued, "A Chakram. The weapon of Xena."


	3. Black Smoke

"Humans… Wildly religious bunch. Want an explanation for everyone and everything."

The doctor chattered and chattered, and Donna kept a pace behind him as he explained the inner workings of time and universe, trying her best to pay attention to what was being explained- but drifting in and out of attentiveness as they meandered along the old dirt road.

"…same impulse to find answers that eventually leads to great scientific discoveries in the future- even in _your _future, Donna…"

Donna looked around at the road. There were trees to on both sides of the lane, and a little further down she could make out a village full of small, primitive houses. They looked sturdy enough, mostly put together by wood and thatch, but were bigger than what somebody would dub a 'hut.' The red head could smell a fire burning, and something delicious was cooking. She guessed it was probably at the largest building on top of the hill, which was (unbeknownst to her), the inn.

"… before humans started writing things down, science and religion were very, very difficult concepts…"

But wait- Donna squinted, looking up at the village on the hill that they were slowly but steadily nearing. Something wasn't right. She stopped in her tracks, cocking her head to her side and putting her hand on her hip. She pushed her lips together and frowned.

"…You could just tell anyone anything you wanted to believe, and they would believe you because- why wouldn't they? I could say "ho, neighbor- I'm a god, worship me," and as long as you were better to them than the bloke down the street they probably would..."

Now they were close enough that Donna could discern shouting from the village, and the smoke- smoke from a small cooking fire shouldn't be that black, or that big, and it wasn't coming from the chimney…

The Doctor, now several paces in front of Donna, turned around, obviously alarmed and perplexed about why his companion wasn't right behind him.

"Oi- Donna? What are you doing?" He inquired, obviously still lost in his own story and not paying attention to the distressed town around him. Donna raised her hand to a point, pointing just above the doctor's shoulder. The lanky spaceman spun around, and jumped- he couldn't believe he had failed to notice the disaster that was happening before his very eyes.

"Doctor… the town- it's on fire!"


	4. The Beast in Armor

The time lord and the earth girl sprinted up the hill, their progress impeded by their foolish choice in clothing. Donna wore a long and flowing dress that was (according to the fashionably illiterate doctor) in style at the time in Greece, and the doctor wore the sort of robe that perhaps a philosopher or priest would wear (fitting for him, to be quite honest).

People were running down the hill, away from the fire, bumping into them. "RUN!" they screamed, obviously confused as to why two bizarre and out of place strangers were running directly into danger. The Doctor paused when a girl bumped into him, and grabbed her firmly by the shoulders. She couldn't have been any older than 15, and was obviously frightened. Her expression was panicked, and she almost didn't hear the doctor when he began to speak to her.

"What happened- who did this?" He said, looking into her panicked green eyes.

The girl simply pointed to the inn, a tall, wide building with a rearing horse drawn crudely on its front side. "Dalekius," She whispered, before shaking out of the Doctor's grasp and fleeing down the hill.

Donna and The Doctor stood still for a minute in the sea of escaping townsfolk, stunned.

"Dalekius?" Donna whispered, and the Doctor nodded. "They've followed you all the way _here._"

The time lord was already half way to the inn by the time Donna finished her sentence, and she began to sprint to keep up with him. "Let's just hope we find Xena before they do!" he yelled behind him as he attempted to push the wide, wooden doors open. They didn't budge at all, so he pulled out his sonic screwdriver from a pocket concealed in his long, awkward robe.

_Wowowowowowowowowowow. _The sonic device hummed, but the door didn't budge. "Damn it!" The time lord cursed, kicking the door, "It doesn't work on wood!"

His companion looked around as the doctor pushed on the door fruitlessly- they could hear the screams of people inside, and the smoke coming through the top of the building was thicker and blacker than ever. "Aha!" She yelled triumphantly as she grabbed an axe that had been left sitting in some logs that were being split. "Stand back!" She tried to yell to the people on the other side of the door as she swung the tool with the full force of her body, bringing it down into the crack between the double doors and splitting the latch wide open.

She rushed in to the smoke filled room, followed by The Doctor, who kept his hand on his shoulder as to not lose her in the chaos. "Who's here?!" The Doctor yelled as they began to quickly search the rooms. Being careful to not get cut off from the door by the oncoming flames, the Doctor and Donna located two pairs of mother and child, and a few more single women who had huddled together in a corner. "Come with us!" The Time Lord ordered, "This is Donna, I'm the Doctor!"

The women and children appeared confused about this strange name or title, but follower their rescuer without reluctance. Donna and The Doctor helped them out of the split open door one by one, and watched as the rescued people scurried down the hill to join the rest of their townspeople.

The Doctor helped Donna through the splintered door, and then followed.

"Well, wish we could've done something about the flames," he chattered as he emerged through the door frame. His eyes were fixed on the ground as to avoid stepping on any sharp wood or the axe that Donna left carelessly lying about, but he looked up when he was abruptly stopped by a large shadow cast over him and the feeling of cold metal on his throat.

Donna was to his left, restrained by a hefty thug in leather armor. He had his hand over her mouth, keeping her from warning the time lord from danger as he passed through the door. Her eyes were apologetic as she looked worriedly at the doctor, but the blood running down the thug's fingers told The Doctor that Donna had put up a real fight. Sadly, the gash above her eye and the purple that was forming around Donna's cheek showed that the thug had fought back, and obviously won.

The man in front of The Doctor was mounted on a tall bay horse, whose width could rival its height. The animal stared forward with angry, tormented eyes, and for a moment the doctor pitied the animal, before looking up to the man holding the sword that was pressing so pleasantly into the doctor's adam's apple.

He was covered from head to toe in armour, with very little of his flesh exposed. His hands were gloved, his body and limbs covered in thick iron plates. His helmet was squared off at the top and rounded at the bottom, and left a small opening for which eye holes through which two brown eyes could be seen. Between them, the bridge of his nose was the only proof that a human was on that horse… or was it?

"Dalekius, I presume?" The doctor asked, putting his hands up in the air, "You've got me!"

"I am under strict orders to not let the man called The Doctor speak to me or anyone else." The armored beast of a man bellowed.

"Ah, but if you would let me speak, you would find that I'm actually quite likable, in fact-" The Doctor was cut short by a punch to the side of his head by another one of the thugs, rendering him unconscious.

"I said no speaking," Dalekius pronounced, turning his horse and then ordering his troops to move. With a strange nod to Donna, he proceeded to lead them out of the town.

"Bring them to camp," He told the group, "Watch them closely. Boss says they are _tricksy._"


	5. Tall Mountain

Xena awoke with a start. She opened her eyes- just barely enough to let her see through small slits- she didn't want whoever or whatever woke her to know that she was awake, yet. Her icy blues opened a little more when she realized that it was still extremely dark outside. The pink glow of morning that usually lighted her early battles hadn't even begun to creep over the hills on the horizon, so it was definitely before 4 a.m, and still in the thick, silent part of night where everything was as still and as cold as death.

The brunette shivered and nudged her companion in the ribs. As they had climbed the summit of the mountain the temperature had dropped and the trek had become more and more tedious. The light, icy mountain air hurt their lungs, and made anything above a slow walk unbearable for the pair of women and their horse. Day by day, they were making slower progress, getting up a little later in the evening, walking a little bit of a shorter distance, and stopping a little earlier at night. What's worse, is that Xena couldn't even explain why they were climbing the slope to begin with- she just knew that the people who had went up the high slope of the mountain recently to pay tribute to the God of War hadn't returned. Aries wouldn't answer any questions about it- and she knew that he wasn't behind the disappearances. There had been only one thing in that coward's eyes when asked about the tall mountain- fear. Xena knew that if the giant, overconfident lump of a war god wouldn't dare to venture up the summit to his favorite and most prized temple, then something seriously scary was up here.

"Why do we always have to go LOOKING for things so scary, so bad, that even _gods _are afraid?!" Gabrielle had asked, partially toying with the warrior princess. The blonde definitely knew that anything unusual or extremely challenging was even more likely to spark Xena's interest than even a pack of delusional warlords, so the bard kept quiet about it and traveled on, secretly hoping that whatever lived on the top of the mountain was maybe just a giant spider or a woman who Aries had wronged in the past that had taken over his temple. Although she was ready for adventure, and always there for her best friend, she didn't feel guilty hoping that just _once _their problems could have an easy solution.

The bard hadn't stirred from her sleep at the first nudge, so this time Xena placed her hand over Gabrielle's mouth (to silence the inevitable groaning and complaining about being woken up that would occur), and poked her hard in the stomach. The bard jumped awake, cursing into Xena's hand.

"Shhh!" Xena hissed quietly, looking around and scanning their surroundings. Her eyes hadn't fully adjusted to the dark yet, and the night was so dark that it was hard to differentiate leaves from… well, anything.

Argo snorted in the distance, and stamped one of her hooves. At this, Xena sprang to her feet, and the still disoriented Gabrielle soon followed suit. Xena unsheathed her sword and Gabby pulled both of her sai from her boots. They stood back to back in the center of their camp, poised perfectly in anticipation of the oncoming attack.

Nothing happened. Seconds ticked by, and then a couple of minutes. Gabrielle exhaled, relieved, and Xena shushed her- still not convinced that they were alone. The dark outlines of the forest around them gradually came into focus as their vision adjusted to the lack of light. The previously unidentifiable shapes now formed into trees, rocks, and-

"Xena-" The bard had spotted something unusual, and she squinted to make it out amongst the tall grass and overgrown brush, "What in tartarus is that?"

Xena lowered her sword and huffed, annoyed. "Probably just a stump, Gabrielle," the experienced fighter said condescendingly, "You always get excited about the silliest-"

"Xena, stumps don't move. That is something."

The brunette turned around to face the direction Gabby was peering, stepping in front of the younger woman and rolling her eyes. She squinted, looking through the vines and bushes that twisted along the cold forest floor. Nothing moved- nothing unusual at all. She was about to turn around to prove to Gabrielle that nothing was out there when Gabrielle cried out.

"Xena! Look!"

Five figures had suddenly appeared in a circle around them, closing them in. The women raise their weapons once more, scooting in toward each other until they were again back to back.

"When are you going to learn to believe me…" The Bard grumbled, looking confusedly at the advancing figures that were hidden in the darkness.

"Not now, Gabrielle," her tone was all seriousness and sincerity, with no sass, "I'm afraid we've got bigger problems, these things aren't anything we've ever seen before, I can feel it."

And the princess was right. As she finished that sentence, one of the advancing beings stepped (or, more accurately- rolled) out of the darker shadows and into their view.

The figure was an odd shape- cylindrical like, with a widened bottom and a rounded top. It appeared very hard, not like stone, but more like the blade of a fine sword. It had two projections thrusting out of its front, moving around as if they were arms. On its top, two lights had begun to illuminate, each one tilted on either side of its head, kind of like ears.

"Exterminate! Exterminate!" it cried, its arms flailing.

Now remember, that neither of our warriors had ever seen technology as advanced as an electric light bulb, and so needless to say, the pair was stunned. Neither of them said anything for a moment, and then Xena boldly and stupidly charged.

"What are you?! What do you want?!" She screamed, leaping high and bringing the wide part of her sword down right over the metal beast's top. Her blow was… to say the least, ineffective. The beast didn't recoil at all, but instead barely moved its arm and shot Xena with a blast of energy, knocking her backwards. Gabrielle gasped, but the beast shot at her, keeping her away from her friend.

"We are here for the warrior Xeeeeeee-na," the beast said in a flat, robotic tone, "Do not interfere and you will not be harmed. We want only Xeeee-na."

Gabrielle got angry, and clenched her fists, "Well, you can't-" She was cut off by one of the other beasts who began to speak, his voice was identical to the leaders and the 'ears' on top of his head flashing with every syllable.

"Interfere and you will be exterrrrminated," he announced. Gabrielle almost muttered, '_you seem a little bit too pleased about that possibility," _but decided to keep her overactive and sarcastic mouth shut.

Xena moved from her crumpled pose on the ground, and sat upright. With a quick glance to make sure Gabrielle was ok, she began to speak. "Ok beasts, you win," she said, sheathing her sword. She put her hands up in the air and stood slowly, "I'll go with you, just let me say goodbye to my friend, ok?"

"A quick goodbyeeeee." The metal pieces of junk agreed, "hur-ry."

Xena turned to Gabrielle, who was sitting on the ground with a shocked, hurt, and tearful expression. She wanted to scream at Xena, to push her away and demand to know what she was thinking and why she was doing this. She was so angry, but she knew it might be the last time she saw her friend. Neither of them had any idea what these things were, what they wanted, or how to fight them. There was no immediate or foreseeable way around this, and so she let Xena embrace her in a hug.

Unexpectedly, the brunette grabbed a handful of Gabrielle's short, spiky, hair, and pulled her in closer. She leaned in to the side of Gabrielle's face, pressing herself into the blonde's ear. She whispered, as quiet as possible so that the strange figures couldn't hear: "Get argo. Follow us. Find me," before separating from the hug. "I'll see you again, kid," The brunette smiled a mischievous, almost playful smile, before walking to where the metal demons were crowded.

Gabrielle saw Xena turn to the figures, heard Xena say, "So, who are you guys anywwww-." Then, a bright light flashed, and they were gone, leaving a teary Gabrielle and confused Argo behind.


	6. The White Room

**(Author's note: I am loving the encouragement I am getting to finish my story! It really helps! I am in vet school so finding time to write can be hard, but please keep it up! Also, feedback (especially complements :D) make my day, so please let me know what you think about my story! I having quite a bit planned for this, but at the same time have NO idea- so anything can happen. This may end up being a very long story before it is completed, though! Enjoy!)**

The bright flash engulfed the warrior, and she suddenly felt dizzy- as if everything that made up her body had been taken apart, jumbled up a bit, and then quickly put back together again. She never felt as if she had left the ground, but suddenly she stumbled, hitting a hard, cold, sterile floor.

"Ouch!" She turned; trying to see where the strange beasts were that had brought her here. The light in the room was entirely too harsh, bright like a modern day surgery suite, and Xena blinked, trying to bring anything around her into focus. Instinctively, her hand went to the hilt of her sword, and she squeezed it as she collected her thoughts. She thought about drawing it out of its sheath, of attacking, but with the way those things just summoned energy from their arms? It was impossible to defeat that with only metal. She sighed, and released the grip on the leather bound sword base, dropping her arms to her side and raising from her crouched position.

"Who's there?" She asked, her voice echoing through the room.

She didn't hear any footsteps or see anyone coming up to her, but suddenly she was hit with someone's full weight. The force knocked her to the ground in a tackle, and the two figures wrestled for a few minutes. Somehow, the light in the room got brighter and brighter, until the only thing Xena could see at all was a thick sheet of white. _"I'd prefer darkness to this nonsense," _She thought to herself, as she kicked and clawed at whatever was attacking her.

Whatever it was, it was big, but it wasn't hard and cold like one of the beasts. Her short and fast punches appeared to have no effect on the gargantuan being, and her knuckles had started to bleed from hitting what felt like the rough sides of a cow. Finally, she felt a hand wrap around her arm, and the attacker tried to pin her down. Xena continued to struggle even as a hand was placed on her face, pushing her head back into the ground, and she bit down- hard. The salty taste of human blood seeped through her teeth, which was actually quite a relief to the warrior princess.

"Well, at least you are a human," She stated as her opponent pinned her down. She struggled just a little more, and then resolved that there wasn't a way to get out of this without become seriously injured, and that she may need her strength for later. Her wrists were grabbed, folded behind her, and bound. She heard the sound of her sword being unsheathed from its scabbard, and her shakram was clumsily unbuttoned from her belt.

"Can you at least turn down these gods forsaken lights?"

A grunt was given in response, and the lights began to gradually dim, obliging to her request. Finally, her vision came back and, now with her hands cuffed behind her, she looked around. The room was completely empty. There appeared to be no windows, or even doors. Just cold, white, ceramic tile, all throughout all sides of this cubed prison.

"You're going to leave me here, aren't you?" Xena asked, trying her best to hide the fear that was coming up in her chest. She could fight monsters, deal with torture, and solve terrible mysteries- even if it meant her death. But the brave warrior could not even fathom the torment of being left alone in a cold, bright room. Solitary was her biggest fear- she had lived a life of loneliness before she had met Gabrielle, and she definitely didn't want to go back to that.

"No, woman." A cold, bland voice replied. She looked up, finally seeing her attacker for the first time. A huge, bulk of a man stood before her, his legs, torso , and forearms covered in solid, leather armor. Goggles covered his eyes, but his face was round and angry, and his mouth formed a slight frown, even when he spoke. His forehead was creased as if he was constantly worried, and a prickly shaved head poked up behind the band of his green and tinted goggles.

His left hand was dripping blood from where he was bitten, and he gestured to Xena with it. "Stand. Come." He ordered. When she did not immediately respond to his request he grabbed her shackles, and pulled her up off the floor himself- one handed. "Follow me," He ordered, again.

He walked her to a corner of a room, where a door seemed to materialize out of the tile and slid right out of the way, disappearing into the rest of the wall. Xena had never seen anything like this, and she gaped.

"What in _tartarus_ is this place…?" She wondered aloud, but the leather bound brute did not answer her inquiry.

The brute shoved her in front of him into the room, which was, in contrast to the sterile, white room- very dark and damp. He did not follow, and Xena turned to face him, confused. He stared blankly at her, and the wall began to shift again.

"_THIS _is your prison, Woman." He stated, flatly, as he turned away from her and began to walk.

"NO!" The warrior cried, lunging toward the door that snapped shut just in time to prevent her escape. The bounds around her writs had suddenly disappeared, and she put her hands on the door, searching for the knob. She pounded on it, but the opening melted into the wall, leaving no seam or trace that an opening had ever been there. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" She cried, hitting the wall again and again, with each fading and hopeless 'no.'

A sudden hand on her shoulder stopped the pounding on the wall, and instead she turned, striking at whatever had just touched her. She had had enough of bodiless hands on her, for one day, she decided as her fist made contact with a body. A _human _body, or so she thought. She leapt down to follow the falling figure, and drew her fist back again in a blind rage.

"Wait, wait, wait!" The figure cried, as a flickering light came on, partially illuminating the dark room, "Don't! Stop! We're on your side."

The Greek stopped, dropping her fist. She was straddling an odd looking man in what appeared to be a priest's robe. He was on the ground, obviously surprised at the mad fury that had just been unleashed in his direction without warning. Xena exhaled, both relieved that she was not alone in her prison, and still very confused and disoriented about what, exactly, was happening.

"Oh!" The man appeared to have recognized her, and a smile spread across his handsome face, "Well, hello there! You must be Xena!"

Xena didn't respond, but stood up to let the man back to his feet. She eyed him suspiciously, wondering why a man in a priest's robe was excited to recognize her- that was _not _the usual reaction she got from educated elders of the community, although this man appeared quite young.

"Now why'd you go and punch the doctor!" A woman's voice came from the other side of the room, followed by quick, irritated footsteps. A red headed woman stepped out of the shadows with an irritated expression on her face. "Why would the bad guys put _you, _unbound, in a room full of other bad guys, right after they had you restrained? Just doesn't add up, don't-ya-think?"

"You're right, sorry. I… you surprised me," She said apologetically, looking back to the man who was dusting himself off and checking for lumps and bruises.

"Oh yes, you got me pretty good there," He mumbled, grasping his shoulder, "Oh by the way, now that we're finally meeting! I'm the Doctor, this is Donna, and we came here to get your help!"


	7. Across the Valley

_Here's a slower chapter before we get into things- keep reading and let me know if you enjoy my story! Feedback and encouragement makes my day and is much appreciated- BBoA _

The leather clad blonde sat on a small, rounded boulder, her chin resting on her fists, which were clenched tight in frustration and anxiety. Her short, spikey hair was disheveled- stands poked this way and that, and it was obviously a little too greasy. She hadn't bathed in four or five days, and her hair wasn't the only thing that looked like hell. Dark blue pouches had started to pop up below her eyes, which were blood shot and teary. Even her clothes were tattered; a week's worth of hard riding had taken the toll on the leather bound garments, and the sole of one of her boots had started to rot, and now flopped around hopelessly with every step the battling bard took.

Across the valley, she could see a small town. It looked polished and well kept, even from that distance. The buildings were arranged in straight, even columns, and were all pristine and smooth- probably made from straight, flat pieces of wood that had been expertly cut and sanded. Gabrielle chucked for a moment, wondering what the uppity people in that town would say if she walked in looking like this.

_"Well, it appears that they don't have much of a say in the matter," She_ said out loud to herself and Argo, who was drinking by a nearby stream, _"We look awful, and we need a break. I think Xena would understand- hell, she'd probably encourage it."_

She walked up to the palomino mare, and stroked her neck. Xena's absence was agitating Argo, too, Gabrielle could feel it. The horse stamped a rear foot and tossed her head, chewing on the bit. Gabrielle took this as a sign that Argo was ready to get going, hurriedly packed her things, and climbed aboard the mare. _"To the town over there," _Gabrielle whispered to the horse as they made their way across the grassy, outstretched valley.

The bard half way closed her eyes as they walked along, concentrating on the slow, and steady beat of the horse's gait. She took a deep breath and held it in, savoring the sweet scent of grass and wildflowers. Just when she started to feel better for a moment, she felt guilty. It just didn't feel right to enjoy anything without Xena there. Gabrielle still had no idea who or what had taken her, and she had nobody to turn to for help. If she mentioned anything to anyone she was sure to be thought insane, and being locked away in an institution wasn't exactly the best way to help Xena out, was it? _"Oh well," she thought, "I shouldn't feel guilty. I'll find her. Or I'll die trying. Xena knows that. Xena understands."_ She promised herself this and then breathed in again, trying to relax, breathing steadily in and then out, again. They went along like this for a few more minutes, at a slow and relaxing pace, until the mare suddenly stopped.

"Argo, what is it?" Gabrielle asked, snapping to alertness. The mare was uneasy, her ears pinned back and eyes widened. The Bard had felt the large beast tighten under her, and could tell that her breaths had quickened. Gabrielle knew that mean that this horse was either frightened or pissed.

"Oh, Argo old pal, it's just me, Girl," a deep, overconfident voice slipped from the forest a few meters away, and a man dressed in all black leather walked into the sunlight to meet them. He put his hand on the mare's neck and flashed Gabrielle his best smile.

"Aires…" Gabrielle greeted the God with cold, skeptical eyes. There were only a few times when she had been happy to have this behemoth of an idiot around, and right now didn't appear to be like it was going to be one of them, "And to what do I owe this pleasure, your extreme beefiness?" She hissed at him with sarcasm, but it wasn't enough to bite back the playful look in the god's eyes.

"Well, I noticed that you looked like hell, and I noticed who you are missing…" He trailed off, snapping his fingers. The air around them seemed to crack, and a tall, black behemoth of a horse appeared in a cloud of smoke. When the smoke was gone, the war horse remained. It was scary for a horse, and appeared so blood thirsty that Gabrielle couldn't decide if it was close akin to a horse or a flightless dragon. It stared at the blonde girl and the blonde horse as its rider approached it. Aires climbed up on the beast and gave him a small kick. To Gabrielle's shock, the monster obeyed, obliging every one of Aries' requests.

"Ride with me, Gabrielle," He chimed at her, "Trust me- you'll want to."


	8. Inside the Tile Box

_I'm sorry that I haven't updated in a while- vet school has really gotten into the meat of the semester, and finals are starting and will go until next month. I PROMISE that I will not quit on this story! However, I'm not exactly sure at this point where the story is going... so just hang on for the ride, I guess! Feedback and comments LOVED and really appreciate- your comments really motivate me to continue writing this story! Enjoy this chapter (personally, I don't like it that much, but I have a good idea for the next one)! _

The Doctor opened his eyes after being awoken from a nap. A bowl of food was being slid under the door, and it panged loudly against the hard, cold tile. Grumbling to himself, he stood and meandered to the door to collect his daily serving of food. It looked disgusting, and was as thick and tasteless as paste, but it appeared to have an excellent nutritional content. Forcing it down was a trial, but a few bites of it kept all three of the captives full and energized throughout the day.

The hours in their prison were monotonous, and passed by at a trickle. For a man who had lived almost an entire millennia, twenty years could sometimes seem like a blink, but in this four walled, tiled caged, the minutes and hours stretched on in a way that was just about unbearable.

It was the absolute _stillness_ that really got to him, in all honestly.

And it was bothering the two women, too. He first saw it on the face of the warrior. The tall brunette had went about her first two days here calmly, sitting and laying around, investigating the chambers as if she were on a vacation and this was her chance to relax and catch up on sleep. After that, the warrior began to pace around, then run, then train. The room was almost as long as a basketball court, so it had plenty of space for the warrior to sprint around in. In one corner of the room was a small forest like area, with trees and vines. The Doctor guessed that this was meant to provide them with fresh air, but the time lord found the droopy trees and mossy ground depressing- a small and pitiful reminder of the brilliant universe they were stuck in here, missing.

The Doctor finished his meal, and looked up. Xena was doing pull-ups from a tree branch, and Donna was watching. After a few, the Greek dropped to the ground, landing as lightly as if she had landed on pillows and not a hard surface, and gestured for Donna to try. Donna did, and inevitably fell to the ground after a few struggling pulls upward. Xena laughed, helped her up, and Donna tried again.

These types of occurrences had become more and more frequent as their time in captivity spanned onward. Constantly chatting Donna had become so bored with the tile box that she eventually started taking part in Xena's daily training. Donna had even been learning how to fight- in hand-to-hand combat and with sticks that were supposed to represent swords. Although Xena _always _won, she took it easy on the red head, and Donna was improving each and every day.

The Doctor sat silently now, watching them work out together. He was glad that they had something to do- he knew how important it was for a human mind to have outside stimulation. As for his time lord consciousness, he had found that lately he was getting lost in the vast sinusoids of his brain, sitting for hours at a time trying to work through the problem of their current situation. His mind seemed to be larger and more confusing even than the inside of his beloved tardis, and it was as if he were trapped inside, wandering and wandering but never really finding what he was looking for.

Donna had finally finished ten pull ups. She hopped down, triumphantly, and bowed dramatically. Xena chuckled and the Doctor nodded in approval, and applauded the redhead. "You're coming along!" He called to his companion, reflecting. Perhaps this training was a good thing, after all. He sighed. He had objected to the training, at first. He understood fitness training, but couldn't condone fighting in any way, and that is what Xena was- a warrior. He just hoped Xena wouldn't turn Donna into a warrior, too.

_"Fighting NEVER leads to good!" _He had cried at Donna, who looked at him with an expression mixed with pity, confusion, and defiance, _"It will only get YOU hurt!" _

Donna was stubborn, however, and Xena promised to put her main emphasis on defense and disarming- _not _physical injury or killing. Reluctantly, the time lord resigned to the fact that this was going to happen, and that it would probably be good for Donna to get a "hobby" while they were trapped in their small space. After all, she had been absolutely chattering his ear off as of late.

The doctor reclined on his small cot, entwining his fingers behind his head and gazing at the ceiling. The two were at it with the sticks again, and he heard the shouts and noises from his companions and the dull beat of their makeshift swords against each other as he closed his eyes.

He had so many questions, and sitting around here wasn't helping him figure them out. In fact, sitting here in general was causing him to come up with _even more _questions. Why were the Daleks keeping them here for so long? If they had wanted to kill them, they would've done that, but if they had needed him for a reason, they would've used him and have been done with him already, too.

So why the wait? Why were the sentient trash cans suddenly so accommodating? Being imprisoned in the room wasn't anything at all to be happy about, but considering that they were in a room with all of their basic needs and they haven't seen a Dalek in four days, the Doctor was counting them pretty darn lucky. Plus, it seemed odd to him that they would allow Xena- a world class warrior- a basic arena where she could hone and teach her lethal skills. _Surely _the Daleks were smart enough to know that was not a good idea for them?

Or maybe they were counting on other factors. Factors a bit more… human.


	9. Strange, Blue Box

Gabrielle stared blankly at the strange blue box. It was just sitting there, looking absolutely ridiculous against the scenery of ancient Greece. She tilted her head to the side, and Ares chuckled a bit.

"That's the space man's ship," he muttered, confused by the words as he said them- even though he knew they were true.

Gabrielle gave the god a skeptical look. "A ship?" She said, mocking her companion, "How would _this _thing even stay afloat. It looks nothing like a ship!"

Ares rolled his eyes, exasperated. Why did he even decide to help this annoying child? Oh, right- Xena. He looked at the ground unusually sheepishly for a man who was usually so arrogant and brash.

"Well, he doesn't sail, he flies…" He pointed to the sky, which was a pale blue painted with the red of the sunset, "Up there. And he goes through time, too- to the past, and future."

Gab scoffed, but Ares ignored her, slowly walking around the TARDIS. He inspected it, looked at the characters inscribed on the side. At first, he couldn't read them, but as he stared they slowly shifted around, turning magically into Greek letters.

"My Gods!" Gabrielle shouted from around the ship, "I can read the words, now! Maybe you're right Ares, this thing is more than just a box."

Ares was about to retort back sarcastically, but bit his tongue. It wouldn't do any good now, and would only cause animosity between them. Right now, what they needed was to cooperate, even as much as it pained the warlord of a god to get along with such an irritating little brat.

"Push to open," He read aloud, as Gabrielle joined him again, "These must be the doors." He stretched out his hand and grasped the handle, and pulled. The doors didn't budge, so he pushed. Still nothing. "Damn it," he frowned, folding his arms across his chest, "It must be locked or something."

Gabrielle's expression mimicked his. He looked at him, and then back to the box, and then to back to the God, who seemed sincere in his disappointment.

"What is this thing, again, anyway? Who is this space man guy?"

Ares huffed, obviously annoyed with the trouble she was putting him through. _"Gods forbid I ask a simple question," _the bard thought silently to herself, frowning. She was relieved when Ares actually answered.

"He's a guy, from a different planet. They call him "The Doctor."" His voice was low, almost as if he were telling a fable or scary story, "He looks just like a human, but he's not. And he says that the Greek gods aren't from this planet, either, but I don't know that I believe him." He paused for a second, as if reflecting on himself. "When I saw his ship, I came to see what he wanted- I've met him before and I don't like when he is around. Trouble follows him and it _never _ends in war, which is exactly what I don't like." Gabrielle snorted, but Ares shot her a cool glance. She quieted, and he continued, "This time when I saw him, he was looking for Xena. He said he needed her help for something. Wouldn't tell me what, but it seemed important."

"So you think that he is the one that took Xena?" Gabrielle interjected.

Ares shook his square head. "No, I don't. Trouble on that mountain started weeks before he got here. Plus, those metal things you've told me about don't really seem like his style. He's more of a non-violence, kill them with logic kind of alien."

Gabrielle nodded. "So, they have him too."

"Yup," For once Ares and Gabrielle agreed, and of course it had to be over something this terrible. They had both lost their best friend, the loves of their lives. Even if, in Ares' case, the love was unrequited- the fact was plain for everyone to see- he ended the lives of his family for Xena, and he would do it again in a heartbeat. She was _his _god, although he would never, ever, say those words out loud. He buried his face again, and let out a choke disguised as a cough to keep himself from tearing up. "_How _are we going to help her?" He asked as he looked up to the bard for answers.

"So… uh…" Gabrielle found herself trying to comfort the distraught god (a notion that was almost as distressing as the situation was). She inspected the structure once again, putting her hand against the wood, "Let us in…" She whispered in exasperation, "I need to help Xena and The Doctor."

Gabrielle had closed her eyes, silently willing the box to let them in. She begged silently to the 'ship,' to whatever gods (save Ares the seemingly useless) that may be watching over her right now. '_Let us in, let us in, let us in, show us the way, help us find them,' _She chanted these things over and over in her head for many seconds, her eyes closed tight and her full body weight bearing into the door. After a moment of this, a sound like a _crack_ rippled through the air, and suddenly the air around them was very hot and thick. A strange noise seemed to come from the inside of the box, as if the wooden structure was coming to life.

Gabrielle opened her eyes and looked at Ares in shock. Their eyes met, and their expressions of shock and surprised mirrored eachother. "What in olymp-" Gabrielle's exclamation was stopped short by a small, subtle sound, one that barely registered amongst the commotion of heavy machinery coming from the strange blue box.

_Creaaaaaaaaaak. _

The noise echoed through the calamity, so subtle that Gab and Ares almost didn't hear it.

The door to the TARDIS had opened.


End file.
